Lean on Me
by Anzu Fan
Summary: 2011 series.  Adventures aren't all courageous dialogue and gleaming swords.  Sometimes they're the quiet moments sitting with those closest to you, trying to tell them it's okay to need you.  Collection of one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

So...anybody else falling madly in love with the 2011 'ThunderCats' remake? I am. And what better way to show that love than with fan fiction? Although buying the DVDs when they come out would probably help.

Anyway, this is going to be a collection of one-shots, updated when something inspires me in the series. Mostly friendship and support stories - hence the title - because I can totally see the bond these guys sharing developing into something truly grand. The old series was great, and this one is showing lots of promise. I can't promise it'll all coincide perfectly with canon, as the series is so new, but I'm just trying to add to the fics and have fun with it.

No, YGO fans, this won't alter my plans to work on the other stories. To the ThunderCats fans, welcome, and enjoy my newest work. Review on the way out if at all possible.

I own no part of this exciting new series, and the title is derived from a song of the same name. Neither are mine, and are owned by their creators/producers/other nameless affiliates, I'm sure.

* * *

><p><em>"Pre-series. Lion-O is in trouble for the umpteenth time. Jaga provides the listening ear, and does some subtle chewing out. Only it's <em>not _directed at Lion-O. And he thinks about that."_

**Playing Favorites**

_Everybody who tried to engage him in conversation – "everybody" being guards or visiting nobles – found that Lion-O didn't speak much. At three years old he should at least have been able to babble, but he rarely opened his mouth. His father didn't fret about it – "He talks when he's interested in something. If he's not talking, he's not interested, most likely in the speaker." Still, everybody around never heard him say much, and this made many wonder about his mental capabilities._

_Jaga had had a stint in the forces outside Thundera for the past year, so to come back and see the plump cub turned into a walking, not-quite-so-plump cub was an interesting thing. The most striking thing about him was that he seemed to watch everything with open eyes. His eyes were a shade of blue that put even his father's to shame and made women croon and fawn over him, and his red mane and warm fur colors were cute, if the old codger could ever admit anything was._

_He didn't know he'd become deeply attached to the child he then wrote off as melancholy. In fact, if he hadn't been in the courtyards early in the morning to clear his sinuses, he might not have._

_Some things set off his allergies. It was just his luck that dust – specifically, the kind that built up on his shelves when he gone for long periods of time and came cascading down in a smoky cloud when he carelessly pulled off a book – happened to be chief among them. His nose was still wrinkling and his eyes streaming when he found Lion-O in the yard, carrying a bucket._

_He wasn't walking along the goldenrod stone path that led into the Lair, as the Thundercats called the palace. Instead he was walking in the short, green grass, toward nothing in particular but the wall that led around the Lair. And not even the gateway through it – just a random, unnoticeable spot in the wall. Jaga didn't say anything, watching as Lion-O stopped and emptied his bucket against the wall. He then crouched beside it, watching something hidden in the grass._

_Curiosity won out in Jaga for several reasons. The prince was outside before the dawn had broken. There weren't any guards watching him. He had carried a bucket of water presumably out of the palace – probably having gotten from one of many jars reserved for drinking, brought from the river and purified – all the way through the courtyard. After walking all that distance, he'd dumped it against the wall._

_That was a lot of work for something like making mud pies like other little boys liked to do._

_"What is that you're doing, Prince Lion-O?" The boy jumped, shuffling to hide whatever it was._

_"Jaga."_

_He stood tall over the cub, noting his muddy feet and nightclothes. A faint, cheeping croak from the ground behind the boy made Jaga lean to his right, catching a glimpse of what Lion-O was trying to hide._

_It was a frog. A plain, damp, brown and green frog. The water that had been poured onto the ground had drenched it and formed a tiny pool around it, but the liquid was seeping into the earth. "My prince, why are you pouring water on that frog?"_

_Lion-O shuffled his feet and let his paws dangle by his sides. "I found it out here last night. It can't remember how it got into the walls, so it's stuck. And the nanny said that I can't touch him because I'll get dirty and lose him. And Tygra says he'll dry up like a raisin if he doesn't have water." Bemused, Jaga looked at the pitiful frog, squatting in the mud. It hopped about in the wetness and Lion-O glanced at it before turning a pleading gaze on the old cat. "Can you help me bring more water? He needs a little pond."_

_It was more common for little boys to want to squash frogs, or throw rocks at them to make them bounce. But this cub had gotten up, sneaked out of his bedroom to search in the dark, early morning to check on a frog, and sneaked through the Lair with a bucket to bring it water._

_The little face was plaintive, pleading. "It's a frog. Why is it so important to you?"_

_Lion-O blinked. "I don't want it to die like a raisin. That sounds icky. And I can help it, so why should it have to die?"_

_The simple honesty of the statement took him aback a little, as did the guileless wisdom. "That's true." He listened to it croak several more times. "Perhaps we should take it down to the river. That would be easier than making a pond, don't you think?"_

_Lion-O nodded, looking surprised. "Yeah. Only I can't touch him; I'm not allowed."_

_"Well, I am one of the oldest cats in all of Thundera. I'm older than your father's grandfather." He snorted at the prince's rounding, amazed eyes. "I am most definitely allowed to pick up the frog and take him to the river."_

_As if to prove it, he crouched and scooped up the frog with a little of the damp mud, instantly regretting it; it was cold and chalky and slippery. But he kept his hold on the creature. "Am I allowed to come with you?" Lion-O's voice was eager, interested. Jaga cocked an eyebrow, in the way only Jaga could. It appeared Claudus had been right about his blood heir talking when he was interested._

_"If your father says yes. I imagine the guards have noticed that you've gone." Lion-O flushed, nervous realization making him turn on his heels and start running for the palace. Jaga kept a careful eye on him as he went, ignoring the fact that he was clutching a slimy frog in his paws._

_That was the day Jaga knew Lion-O was different, and was _going_ to be different._

* * *

><p>How things <em>didn't<em> change. Jaga really felt his age sometimes.

Usually he was busy training the clerics, teaching them slight spells. Or he was advising the king and reading through the reports of the soldiers that had returned describing areas outside Thundera's borders. This usually kept him distracted from the fact that he was, honestly, older than dirt.

Other days, he was watching Claudus's younger son bury himself up to the neck in trouble.

Tygra was a reasonably good youth, but right now he was looking a little smug. Jaga's eyes lingered on his face until his gaze was met. Lowering his eyes in an appropriately abashed way, Tygra also covered his mouth to hide a grin. Jaga leaned on his scepter and resisted the urge to rub his aging wrists. They didn't hurt too badly, but sometimes it was good to play up the old cat card. People were apt to believe you when you said your joints hurt and you really needed to leave for something more important.

Claudus sat in his throne like a statue, carved to have perfect posture and be intimidating in the extreme. Irritation radiated out from his eyes, boring into the center of the room like a beam.

And Lion-O shifted his weight, trying to smile winningly while he bled from a cut on his lip and orange ooze slid down his head. Other than the occasional sound of the orange fluid slapping wetly against the floor, the room was silent. The goop smelled sweet and sticky, and clumps of Lion-O's fur were in knots.

Jaga sighed. His mustache ruffled. Yes, this was one of those "old-as-dirt" days.

"Lion-O. What is that?" Claudus's voice was even, but it was deep, and a growl trailed along it. Lion-O's grin slipped just a little.

"What's what?"

Steam ought to have rolled out from the king's nostrils so harsh was his sigh. "The slime on your head. The slime that is currently all over your torso. What is it?"

"Oh. Uh…fruit."

Tygra managed to turn his snort into a cough. Lion-O shot him the barest of glances, fuming, but his father's growl made his attention snap back to the throne. "Why is there fruit all over you?"

Jaga's careful eyes also noted other things; a little blood congealing under his left eye, spots where his paler fur looked a bit red. As Lion-O readjusted his balance, he squinted – was the boy favoring his right ankle?

"Well…I was down in the city, and I, er…I fell into a produce stall." He tried the charming smile again and Jaga wished he hadn't, even though it would have automatically worked on_ him_, had he been Claudus. The stretching motion made his lip bleed worse, staining his chin as the droplets rolled down. Claudus's brows didn't soften, face granite.

"Is that all?"

Leaning on his arm, chin on his fist, Tygra was scrutinizing Lion-O too, now. A crease formed across his brow; he too was noting little scrapes and bruises. Lion-O seemed to notice their glances and hesitated, shifting so his right foot was out of their immediate line of sight. His father was watching, and blue eyes met blue for twenty seconds. "Yeah. That's all."

Claudus was quiet, lifting one paw to his brow. His elbow came to rest against the jasper armrest, eyes hidden in his palm. It was impossible to see what his expression was like. "Really. You fell into a produce stall, and _that _is why you missed today's practice session with the Sword, and the explanation about the rite of passage to take place in a week? Why you are bleeding and bruised? _That_ and no other reason?"

The prince's eyes had widened to enormous proportions at the mention of the "practice session," and it was interesting to see just how far back his ears could go in embarrassed shame as his father continued speaking. Jaga thought he might have heard, "Whiskers!" being hissed. "Because you have been gone for eight hours. _Eight hours_, Lion-O! And you expect me to believe that it is because you tripped in the market just outside the palace and fell into a produce stand. Is that what I'm supposed to buy right now?"

Jaga shut his eyes. Lion-O had never been able to lie to save his life. At least, not to him, and usually not to his father. _Don't look, don't look…you'll want to bail him out you old bat…_

"It seems I will have to be disappointed today for one of two reasons. Either my younger son bruises heavily just by tripping into a market stall, or he is telling an utter lie to me. Which is it?" Without waiting for an answer, Jaga heard him say under his breath, "Tygra never gives me such grief." The words hit his own heart like a needle.

Lifting his eyelid just a bit, he saw Lion-O's crestfallen face. He'd clearly heard as well. From his place across the room Jaga could see the mixed look on Tygra's face; a sort of gladness that his father had inadvertently praised him, but a little pity for his brother. Joints creaking, Jaga got up. "Perhaps we should simply gather later in the week to discuss this. Right now I think Lion-O would appreciate cleaning up and possibly being bandaged."

Claudus turned his head to look at the jaguar. "I think that would be best. Lion-O, I will discuss this with you later. For now…go clean up. I expect to see you at dinner tonight." Half-exasperated and half-dismissive, he waved his paw and gestured for Lion-O to go. His son opened his mouth, as if to protest, but thought better of it; he turned and – glancing back just once – headed out of the chamber. He _was_ favoring his right ankle, but doing his utmost to hide it. The three watched him leave, and Jaga picked up his scepter and started after the boy.

"I know. Send for physicians if he's hurt badly. Same as always."

* * *

><p>When he reached Lion-O's quarters, Jaga heard his voice and the sound of water. Stopping on the cool stone, he stood just outside the doorway and listened, tucking the bandages he'd brought under a fold in his cloak.<p>

"What was I supposed to do, Snarf? I couldn't tell him…he already thinks I'm an immature failure as it is."

Jaga extended his neck and observed the heir. Two of the servants had brought a basin of warm, soapy water, and Lion-O was bent over it, scrubbing up to his shoulders. Snarf – his ever present pet – was curled at the foot of his bed, lying in the comforters. It yowled gently, and Lion-O lifted his head. The small wounds marking his face were more evident under his wet fur, and he crouched with his right leg extended to the side to relieve pressure. "Whose side are you on? I know I forgot, but I was busy. The merchants had new tech, and I think a few of the pieces might actually fit together to build something-ow. Ow. Ow." Leaning down, he buried his arm in one of the cloths brought to dry himself off. Jaga was disturbed to see blood stain the blue fabric.

"And of course Tygra's always doing everything perfectly. He was present and he didn't even _have _to be! It's no wonder he's the favorite-"

Snarf had caught Jaga's scent. Swiveling his head, the tiny beast hissed, whiskers and fur standing on end. His tail lashed as he darted to the floor, standing beside his master. Lion-O spotted the old cat and nearly yowled himself. "Jaga! What are you doing!"

"Eavesdropping. Spying. Care for another synonym?"

"I'm taking a bath! Can't you knock!" Jaga rolled his eyes.

"You're talking to the jaguar who was there when you were born. I taught you, fed you, and bathed you when your father was out of the kingdom. Nothing I haven't seen." Quirking a whiskery old eyebrow as only he could, the old cat paced to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Lion-O's face flushed, and he shifted so that he was sitting behind the basin. "You took quite a beating today. The slums and outskirts a little rougher than usual?"

Lion-O let one hand dangle in the water, shaking his head to dry it. "You have no idea. I thought I was-wait, that came out wrong!" Suddenly nervous, he looked up at Jaga. But his old guardian wasn't looking at his face; he was studying the angle of his right leg. It was twisted, and bruises were dark under the wet fur.

"Oh yes, I forgot; you tripped into a stall." _Really, he'll be a poor politician if he can't at least lie properly. Then again, a poor politician makes for an honest cat._ The sarcasm in his voice was heavy, and he instantly regretted it when Lion-O began washing his face with an almost angry fervor.

Gathering his thoughts, Jaga studied the room and listened as its inhabitant scrubbed. It was comfortable, the bed simple with green blankets and clean cushions. The window was bright with sun, saturated blue sky beaming and lighting the marble. But most interesting was the corner. A desk, littered with pages and papers, all with strange sketches and little formulas. Pinned above it were cleaner pages, ones with definite blueprints.

Tech. Ideas, thoughts. Snarf growled up at him, planting his tiny feet as if to guard his unhappy owner. Jaga watched Lion-O for another minute.

"You know, I may just be an old fuddy duddy that doesn't know what goes on around here," he began when Lion-O pulled his head out of the water, "But I have an odd idea in my head about where a certain someone was today, and why he missed a rather important appointment."

"I've never thought you were an 'old fuddy duddy.' And knowing you, you probably do."

Lion-O wrapped one of the cloths around his waist and started using the other to dry his hair with careful, slow motions. Bruised, maybe? He was usually wanton about it. "Yes. You see, I've noticed some things about this person's story that simply don't add up. The fact that he was gone for hours, along with the grime on the edge of his dirtiest cloak. Strangely enough, it looks and smells like the kind found only in the slums and outskirts," he explained, nodding toward the desk where the cloak in question was draped forlornly over the chair. "And oddly, I happen to know that the kind of fruit he was covered in isn't being sold in the main market today, where he claimed to be."

Unimpressed, Lion-O sat down by his feet. "Interesting. Not hard to figure out."

"Well then, perhaps I'll come up with a _really _plausible story. This young prince left earlier today with the story of going to the market, but without mentioning which market that was. He made his way to the borders to look for fabled technology as he is wont to do, got into a fight on his way back because somebody was being mugged, and ended up getting quite hurt. During this fight he was thrown back into a cheap stall and covered in filth, and the assailant took the opportunity to cut and run. And it took this brash, if noble, prince hours to limp back because he'd been grabbed around the ankle and dragged during the scrap. And he didn't reveal this part of the story because he knows he gets into entirely too many fights, and would be reprimanded for looking for mythological technology today of all days."

Lion-O had long ago set his forehead against the edge of his mattress. Jaga put one hand lightly on top of his head, searching the vibrant red hair for signs of a concussion. "That was just a little too precise."

"Not really. I got part of the story from witnesses who saw the fight earlier today, one of whom being the widow the mugger was after. She's very grateful."

Clear blue eyes – eyes that hadn't changed since childhood, never hardened with suspicion or doubt – looked up at him. "Good. I'm glad she's okay."

Jaga set aside his scepter and took Lion-O's left paw and examined his arm. "These need tending. And you'll need a splint on that ankle." He pulled out the white bunch of bandages and began winding them around each wound.

For about ten minutes they didn't speak, Lion-O watching as the elder inspected each scratch. It was peaceful, calm, and Jaga tapped under chin so he could look over the marks on his face. "It was quite a scrap."

"Yeah. The guy was double my weight." Snarf sat beside Jaga's feet, rubbing his chin along Lion-O's side. Absently, he used his right arm to pluck the chubby creature off the ground and into his lap. "Snarf was with me."

"I'm sure he provided protection." The creature narrowed his green eyes in suspicion, but Jaga smiled from beneath his whiskers; Snarf was a coward, but he adored Lion-O. "Do you need a physician?"

"No. Just a splint and some sleep. Is my father really mad?" His tone was expectant, and Jaga weighed his words before replying.

"A little tired I think. He was worried about you. So was your brother." Lion-O lowered his head as Jaga fingered a bump along his hairline. "Is your vision okay?"

"Yeah. I don't think I got a concussion."

"I'd like you to stay awake for about four hours," Jaga advised. "If a certain someone found a piece of tech, he ought to examine it a while to keep himself busy after he gets patched up. At least until dinner."

There was another silence, during which Jaga bandaged each cut with practiced care. It had been a long time since he'd bandaged skinned knees, but this reminded him of it. Even though there was twice the blood.

"Hey Jaga?"

"Hm?" Lion-O was petting Snarf, who rolled over expecting a tummy massage. Spoiled rotten creature.

"Thanks for not chewing me out. I mean, I know when I do something stupid. I don't need anyone to tell me again and again." His claws raked delicately against Snarf's soft underbelly, and the red beast mewled happily in response.

"I can't promise your father won't reprimand you once he knows you're not seriously injured." But the boy would get no scolding from him.

He never did. Never with his heart in it, anyway.

* * *

><p>"<em>In days past, when beasts were wilder and magic was rampant, there lived a sorcerer by the name of Mumm-Ra. He was one of the foulest and most wicked beings, a monster steeped in legend. Some say he was a priest for a pagan people, become filled with evil spirits. Some say he was evil incarnate, born from darkness just after time began."<em>

_Even using the "spooky voice" as it had been affectionately christened only made the elder prince yawn. But he was courteous about it; he put a paw to his open mouth. But he didn't really notice; a pair of huge blue eyes were fixed on his face, listening intently. The younger prince hung off of every word._

_"We don't know, right? Because the book is lost. Like the technology." The tawny cub lifted his arms insistently and Jaga reached down, picking him up and hefting him into his lap. The cushion he was sitting on sank a little with the added weight. Jaga's room smelled of herbs and teas, of scrolls and paper. He couldn't quite decide whether he liked it or not, but while Tygra occasionally gagged, Lion-O simply said it was, "Old-Jaga smell. I like it. It means Jaga's nearby. You smell like soap and old jaguar."_

_Two red cushions sat on the floor, one having been abandoned by its occupant. Tygra lay sprawled on the other, attempting to amuse himself poking it and watching it spring back into shape. Across the room, on either side of the doorway, sentries waited to escort the boys where they wished to go._

_Usually the king wouldn't have been so paranoid. But Lion-O had developed the unhealthy tendency to wander where he pleased, and the Lizards had been restless lately. They had attacked with catapults, destroying sections of the city very close to the walls. But one could never be too careful when it came to taking care of rambunctious boys, especially if they were royalty. So even if they were completely safe, guards followed them everywhere. _

_"That's right. But the oldest stories about Mumm-Ra make it clear that he was evil. Evil beyond evil. Many heroes rose up against him and were utterly destroyed. It was only the Thundercats who managed to defeat him. But you've heard that story before. Perhaps a new one?"_

_Tygra lay quietly on the ground, rolling his eyes and giving up on poking the pillow as if resigning himself to a punishment. Jaga cast him a gentle glance. "You know, the storms have finally cleared up. If you both wanted to go outside and play, that might be fun." He was off the floor in an instant._

_"Thanks Jaga. Lion-O, you coming?" The bundle in his lap shook his head back and forth in swift refusal._

_"No way! I wanna hear the story! And you always beat me at games anyway…" he muttered. Tygra grinned and turned, darting away. One of the guards standing at the doorway followed him, pacing after the small footsteps. Jaga lowered his gaze to Lion-O, who tugged impatiently on his ear. "Come on, Jaga! Please tell me a new story! One with lots of tech in it!"_

_"All right, settle down. I'll tell you about the unicorn keepers and the time Mumm-Ra tried to slay their colts for an evil brew. The keepers were very brave, and actually managed to keep the unicorns safe from his magic. How does that sound?"_

_Lion-O's face was honey-colored, attentive. He wound his arms around Jaga's neck and leaned his head on the old shoulder. He didn't say a word but cuddled in, waiting. Thoughtfully, Jaga started rocking the five-year-old, recalling the words. It had been a long time since he'd heard them, but he'd committed them all to memory._

_He also committed to memory the innocent face gazing expectantly at him, adoringly waiting to hear about swords and adventures and things unseen. _

* * *

><p>"Tygra, did you ever go through a phase like this? Cavorting about wherever you pleased, disregarding your duties, getting into fights Thundera-knows-where, and then <em>lying <em>about it! Because I can't remember you ever being so wild!" Claudus was a huge figure, a true lion; he paced with grace and fury, swaying with muscle and the musky scent of thick fur. The throne room was empty but for him and Tygra, and two clerics who stood guard. Or rather, so he thought.

Jaga watched interestedly as the king paced. Tygra watched as well, eyes following obediently. "Father…I'm not trying to get Lion-O off the hook or anything, but he looked pretty banged-up when he came in. I think he's gotten his discipline for running off. Besides, I'm the elder; I'm not supposed to act that way. I'm supposed to be the bossy, responsible know-it-all. It's the younger sibling that gets to play all day."

True. Jaga knew Tygra's love and jealousy for his brother ran deep, and he could hints of both in the words. Claudus continued his pacing, the gold in his fur bright under sunlight that came in the windows and the torches placed in a rim above the main chamber. "The fact that he's gotten hurt is what has me so angry. He looks like he's been brawling in an alley! He's reckless, and never thinks anything through! He'll get himself killed if he continues how he's going!"

"Don't you think that's a little hyperbolic? I mean, he's always wandering and this is the first time he's come back injured." Tygra flinched when Claudus whirled and fixed him with a predatory glare.

The king loved his sons, fiercely. He would easily lay himself on a blade for either of them. But he did not show his love by cuddly, kind measures. He showed it with honor, praise. And he showed his displeasure with rebuke, and the occasional spanking.

The boys were a bit old for the second method, but rebuke hurt just as much, if not more. Tygra shrank under Claudus's hot, blazing eyes, but the king shut them and sighed. "It probably is. But I'm your father; it is my job to worry about you both, incessantly. And I just don't know why Lion-O doesn't understand that he can't _act _like this. He's not a child; he's the heir to the throne. He should be behaving like you – with pride and dignity and skill. Learning how to be a king. Instead he's running amok in the streets, getting himself hurt. I swear, that child is going to see me into an early grave."

Jaga coughed, loudly. Each gaze in the room flitted to him, and he paced forward and folded his arms behind his back. "Prince Tygra, I wish to speak with the king in private. Would you mind accompanying my clerics to the dining hall? We'll be along shortly."

Tygra nodded, getting up from his seat and athletically hopped over the stairs leading up to the throne, bounding toward the exit with a silky grace. Lion-O didn't have that self-assurance. Or cockiness. Whatever one wanted to call it. He was a skilled scrapper, but when it came to the smooth natural ability required for aerobics, he was lacking.

The king waited for Jaga to reach his own seat at the left hand of his throne. Sitting down carefully, the old cat rested his chin on his scepter, tapping a forefinger against his beard. "Lion-O's all right. He needed a splint on his right leg, but it's just a precaution. He'll be up and in trouble again in a few days. Until then he should rest."

Raking his claws through his thick mane, Claudus growled. "That's just the problem. He won't learn from this. I know he believes in all the stories, but this is ridiculous."

"I believe them as well. So do you, last time I checked." He caught the king's scent as he trailed by. The odor of stress and worry were thick.

"I believe in the tales about Mumm-Ra. Technology, I'm not so sure about. And it's not the fact that he believes all that that bothers me. It's how obsessed he is, and what lengths he's willing to go to for this unhealthy hobby. I don't know where he went, but I know _why _he went."

Jaga resisted casting his gaze heavenward; it did not do to show exasperation to a king. "He wasn't injured because he was looking for tech. He was injured for attacking a criminal who assaulted a widow to steal her change purse. And it's not his hobby as much as it is his dream and passion."

"Stopping a crime!" Claudus stared at him in a way that made him know exactly where Lion-O got his "bamboozled" look, as he called it. "Why on Third Earth didn't he tell me that!"

"Because it would have involved telling you that he was somewhere unsafe, looking for mythological items. And he's done that enough to know that everyone gets irritable with him when he does that," Jaga said gently. The king settled into his throne, kneading his temples.

"Did he tell you that?"

"No. I surmised it from the situation." Curiously, Claudus laughed harshly. It was almost a bark. Jaga tilted his head, confused for the first time in several weeks. "Something amusing?"

"It's more depressingly ironic more than it is funny. It's just that I don't know my own blood-heir as well as you do, while I know nearly everything about his brother. Both are equally my sons, even if both are not of my loins."

Jaga pondered on that in silence. It was true, and Jaga had never been a liar. A poor advisor to the king he would be if he couldn't tell the truth in even the most difficult situations. "Perhaps if you were a little more lenient toward him. Perhaps if you asked him about what he thought, and affirmed him more heartily when he succeeded." He paused, wondering if he was going too far with the next part. "Everyone knows Tygra is your favorite. Lion-O knows it better than any."

Claudus stopped rubbing his head and Jaga knew that he had indeed said something dangerous. Coals burned in those eyes. "You dare to say such-?"

"Oh please, my king. I'm not saying you don't love both of those boys more than your own life. But when it comes to which one is most pleasing to you, which one causes you more pride, everyone knows that it's Tygra. He's your favorite in that way; both know they have your love, but they also know who is the more 'perfect' son," Jaga explained. The lion lowered his gaze and returned to kneading his temples.

"Tygra is certainly more obedient, and he conducts himself appropriately…although he's a shameless flirt with the girls. Even one of your clerics has caught his eye." Jaga knew the one – Cheetara, a beautiful young cat of great skill and integrity. "And I won't pretend that when they were children I wasn't quicker to pardon him when he did something displeasing. Orphaned at such a young age, I felt sorrow for him. I'm reaping what I've sown, I suppose. But Lion-O is to be king, Jaga. Lord of the Thundercats. Are you going to tell me that I shouldn't be worried about what's going to happen to him and the kingdom the first time a difficult decision hits?"

"No. But you forget that Tygra is nearly grown and Lion-O is a few years younger. And he is simply lighter of heart. You will not change that by punishing him, and I would think a great deal less of you if you should try. I think he would less stir-crazy if everyone stopped comparing the two…including you. If he didn't constantly feel like he had to compare himself to his older brother to be successful."

Kings did not look ashamed. But Claudus would not meet his gaze as he asked, "You heard my regrettable comment?"

"Yes. As did Lion-O, and Tygra." He exhaled through his nose, air hot and frustrated. "Allow me to be perfectly frank?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Jaga cleared his throat. "In the humble opinion of this old cat, you should not chastise Lion-O after dinner. You should tell him you know that he did what he did for noble reasons, and that you aren't angry with him. Tell him you are proud of him for standing up for the weak and defenseless, as our Code lauds. Be as fair with those two as you can; it won't end well if you aren't. Sibling rivalry will turn them into enemies."

The king gazed down at his paws, scanning the lines in them, and the calluses. "It's not that simple. Lion-O _will be king_ one day. Good intentions without shrewdness will lead him into suffering. I want to think that he'll behave differently when he's on the throne, but I can't be sure. And I can't pretend to condone his actions when they're so wild."

"That's true. But being put down at every turn and not being able to make mistakes without being hotly rebuked for each and every one of them will lead him to think nothing he ever does will be good enough…he will be a poor king indeed if he doesn't have the confidence to make any decision at all, right or wrong. His rule _will_ be different from yours. But he has his brother who will no doubt advise him well," Jaga added. He shifted to his feet for the millionth time that day – old, schmold, he had to keep moving and kicking to look after these people – and began to move toward the door. "They will be fine. But Lion-O's tired and I don't think his battered pride can take anymore today."

* * *

><p><em>It became evident to everyone that Lion-O was going to be an interesting child when he turned twelve and was caught trying to build a flying ship in his room.<em>

_Sure, smaller children had pretended they could fly. Imagination was healthy. But twelve was a little too old for such things. Especially when he insisted over and over again that he wasn't playing._

_"If I had tech, I might be able to build a propulsion system. But I figured making wings and attaching them to the light craft might give me gliding ability, if I got it up high enough." Once Claudus had discovered his son really intended on building such a machine and putting it on some high, precarious place and trying to glide with it, he went off. He'd given his son a serious talk, a carefully controlled swat on the behind, and Jaga met the boy heading to his chambers, eyes red and more upset than hurt. He'd sat him down and given him a talk of his own._

_"Lion-O, I'll tell you the truth; some people don't believe in the stories about Mumm-Ra and technology. I know you believe in them. I believe in most of them too. But you have to understand that technology is not something simple; from what we've heard about it, it's incredibly complicated. And you can't just make some up and expect it to be just like in the stories. Particularly if you're making a flying ship out of wooden crates and wings out of paper kites. Your father loves you, and that was why he punished you."_

_"'Most?' Not 'all?'"_

_"What?"_

_"The stories. You said you believed 'most' of them."_

_"Well, I will admit that I made up a few of them. But not the ones about technology or Mumm-Ra. I truly believe that those are real. And I even believe Berbils are real, if you want to know. But some things you simply have to take by faith, even when everyone else decides against it, especially if you find evidence for it."_

_Somber, disappointed, Lion-O had been quite miserable until Jaga had finally done something he probably shouldn't have; he showed the prince an odd, metallic item he'd once found outside the walls of Thundera. It was a green disc and completely unlike anything Lion-O had seen – well, except for a throwing disc made of thin wood – and he was soon too utterly fascinated by it to bother about being unhappy._

_That had started the mad collecting, although Lion-O hadn't started going down into the dangerous parts of town until he was fourteen and found a veritable goldmine of odd items he was convinced were legitimate technology. _

* * *

><p>"If he starts heading out to the slums again, tail him. I'd rather you didn't have to go there without another cleric for backup, but Lion-O can hold his own. Together you two should be able to take down any thugs that give him trouble."<p>

Cheetara watched old Jaga meander about the room, thinking it a little funny that the old cat could look so tired and ancient and yet run nearly as fast as she when the occasion rose. "I heard he got into trouble down there."

"Some. Hence why I want you to follow that child." She laughed softly, leaning on her staff and shifting her weight as he twitched around to look at her. His scepter clinked on the stone of the training quarters. The other clerics had long ago headed to bed, leaving her alone as she battered the dummies and practiced with her staff in the huge, quiet room. The cool, still air had been pleasant enough, allowing her to hear Jaga coming before he was within thirty stairs of the entrance.

"He's hardly a child. He's only a couple of years my junior. But whenever you talk of him, you act as if he's a precocious kit. If I didn't know any better, I'd call you a doting grandfather, talking about his favorite grandchild."

Funnily enough, Jaga stopped and nodded. "Yes. Yes, it does look that way." Something about his shoulders seemed uncomfortable with that, and Cheetara cursed her tongue; again, she could know something she shouldn't. Something personal, and kept close to one's heart. It was none of her business that if the king cherished his elder son in matters of pride just a bit more than the younger, Jaga adored the younger in matters of faith and heart, because he thought he might have "sight beyond sight," whatever that might mean-

She snapped her attention back. This had to stop – _none_ of these things were things a cleric needed to know. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"No, you just knew it. Like always. Call it a sixth sense, call it woman's intuition; you have a gift, Cheetara. Use it to look after him."

"Gift." An interesting word for her peculiar "premonitions." "As you wish, Jaga. Did you want to talk to me about anything else?"

He shook his head, examining one of the straw-filled dummies apprehensively. "You certainly knocked the stuffing out of this one."

"I'll do the same to anyone who lays a paw on the prince, if you'd like." To her surprise, mild old Jaga seemed to appreciate the thought. "We can't have Jaga's favorite charge getting hurt," she joked, before instantly regretting it.

At the word "favorite," her stomach dropped as his eyelids lowered. For some reason that word bothered him. Thoughts of hypocrisy rushed through him, and though she fought hard not to pick up on those strange, subtle motions, she got impressions of what might have been memories wrapped in time and rhymes.

A little cub, waving goodbye to a frog as it bounded into the river.

The feeling of a weight on the knee, bouncing up and down and cheering when the story ended happily after all.

Claws clinking as they struggled to pry something metal apart.

And blue eyes – bluer than blue, so bright they glowed – sliding shut in a nap, safe and content in "Old-Jaga-soap-jaguar" smelling arms.

'_Did Jaga ever have sons of his own? Grandsons?'_

She shuddered, pressing a palm to her forehead. "Cheetara? Are you all right?" His voice echoed, far away as her head rang and the blue eyes danced in front of her. Thought she wasn't sure her legs would hold her, Cheetara nodded.

"You see something different about him, don't you?" She only phrased it as a question to hide the translucent, smoky thoughts had trailed through her head. Even now she lost them and they left only misty impressions that she couldn't cling to very firmly without breaking them.

Cheetara was afraid to look back and let Jaga see the knots in her brow brought on by the images. But she chanced a quick peek, and saw that he was nodding as he prodded the straw back into the doll she'd been so viciously brutalizing. "Yes. He is different."

Perhaps it was the magic that ran thick in Jaga that made him easier to read. Cheetara made for the door as quickly as she could without looking rude, but one last, deeply personal thought rang deep as a bell inside her head, stronger than anything else. It was rare to get such a clear, absolute thought, but so exasperated was the old cat that she couldn't help it.

_'I can be such an old hypocrite. No favorites my left foot.'_

* * *

><p><em>End.<em>


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As cute as Wilykat and Wilykit are, it would be fascinating to be the person who owned the concepts of them. Unfortunately, they are as cute as they are not mine. How very cute that is.

I have several ideas for the next chapters, but I don't want to write them all out until I get to observe Panthro. More than the rather awesome maneuver from 'Song of the Petalars,' anyway. As cool as it was, it doesn't shed enough light on his character to start writing him. And I want to see a bit more of Tygra and Lion-O before getting into a chapter on their dynamics. So, Kit is our star for the day in a not-entirely-lighthearted piece. Kat will get more focus later.

Also, Tygra in this one has points where he's sarcastic, verging on a bit mean. He won't be that way all the time, but we can't pretend that he wasn't that way in the 'Petalars' episode. I like him a great deal, and no doubt his mood will improve as time goes on. We've all got our flaws, right? He's going through a rough time, and he'll get plenty of good attention as the episodes go by.

Warning: The girls poke fun at the boys and the boys poke fun at the girls. None of it should be taken seriously. I don't think this little note is necessary, but you never know.

Dedicated to Emrick. We will miss thee.

* * *

><p>"<em>Post-Ramlak, Pre-Petalars. It's tough growing up an orphaned kitten with only your brother to depend on. For the first time in a long time, Kit gets some downtime with a fellow female – and even older boys. Although it's fascinating that, when all's said and done, they don't always act too different from the kids. They laugh, they pick on each other, and they even almost cry. And they miss their parents, too."<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Big Cats<strong>

"Maybe pigtails? No, it'll yank my scalp. Leave it as is? Then I'll look just like Kat. Ponytail again? Ugh, I wanna try something new."

Kit yanked her hair this way and that, as if some hairdo from the heavens would come down and make her magically gorgeous. Well, not really, but wouldn't it be nice. It was too short to anything really fancy with; long hair made it easy for muggers to grab, and she'd never had the means to have it grow without it getting ratty. So every time it got too long, she'd always had Kat cut it off. That had been terrible four years ago when he'd accidentally cut it unevenly and she'd run around with three inch jagged streaks flopping around her face.

He'd done a lot better as time went on. Now she actually trusted him with scissors.

"What is it with girls and their hair?" Kat was in a bad mood, probably because Tygra and Lion-O had nicely but firmly told him to sit at least five feet away from the river they were trying to catch fish in. It was a clean, cool thing, green with the reflected shade of the trees, and silvery fat fish swam by frequently. But even the easiest prey couldn't be caught if a certain someone kept bouncing up and down and yelping excitedly when one went by.

Kit sat her chin on her arms, lying on her belly. "What is it with boys and their brains? I, for your information, am a young lady. So if I want to mess with my hair, I can."

"'Young lady' my tail! You're the only person who's ever been able to tie with me in a burping contest!"

Her face flashed red, humiliation toasting. "SHUT _UP_! I can be a young lady too if I want!"

Tygra seemed to laugh without a sound, and darted one paw into the water, claws bared. With a flicking motion, he pulled a fish from the water and slammed it onto dry ground. "One down. We can get by splitting three if we eat a little of our supplies with it. Fish sandwiches, anybody?"

Lion-O gazed at the water, still as a statue before snatching another fish. "Two down."

Under the heady smell of the trees and their bark, it was peaceful, and easy to feel sleepy.

But while she was tired, when they'd bent at the stream to drink, she'd been greeted by a reflection with hair like a nest that had exploded. And even though she knew the adults didn't care – even they were looking a little scruffy – it was still a humiliating experience. Kit had hit that age when it occurred to her that yes, actually, boys could be cute. And even though Lion-O and Tygra were, like, a whole decade too old for her, you could never tell when you might run into a boy on an adventure you might end up really liking and getting married to when you were both a lot older. And what kind of impression would it make to have hair like a straw-filled burrow?

But she wasn't silly; she did not have a little-girl's crush on the older boys. Well…okay, maybe just the slightest, itsy-bitsiest crush. Just a microscopic little one that she knew was because they were both cool and heroic and stuff. You know, the obligatory crush every little girl gets. A younger guy would have been a lot better.

Finally she just let go of her hair and flopped her face in the dirt. "Ugh."

Kit was smart for her age. She knew what evil was, what crushes were, and what love was. Crushes were hoping the guy you liked said your hair looked nice when you did it up. Love…well, love was probably the way Tygra and Lion-O looked at Cheetara when they hoped she wouldn't notice. Or maybe that was just a stronger crush. Maybe that wasn't true love just yet.

Lifting her head, she looked over at Cheetara. How she managed to keep her long, gorgeous hair reasonable in these conditions was just amazing. Then again, she often combed through it with a swift stroke of her claws, or plaited it into a thick braid like a gold rope as she was doing now. As little girls often did, she got stuck somewhere between jealousy and awed admirations for the older cat; she was beautiful, not to mention tough.

Seated beside the creek, far enough down that she couldn't disturb the men while they hunted, Cheetara was grooming through her hair with water. She probably could have caught fish too – maybe faster, considering speed was her specialty. But then, maybe not. Maybe she didn't like messing in water like they seemed to.

"How do you do that?" Cheetara glanced up, slim fingers finishing the edge of her braid.

"Do what?"

"Keep your hair all shiny and nice. I wish my hair was that pretty." The elder smiled, the orange markings around her eyes seeming ever warmer in the friendly expression.

"It's not easy. Lots of work and care and grooming habits. Give me a couple more weeks of this kind of treatment and I guarantee you it won't look this nice." But it gleamed pale gold in the light and she let it drape back. "What are you trying to do with your hair exactly?"

Kit shrugged. "I just want to do something different. But I'm not good at messing with it, and it's too short to make a long, pretty braid. Besides, I guess the guys are going to finish fishing in a minute anyway."

Cheetara opened her mouth to answer but a yelp from Wilykat and a somewhat waterlogged growl from Lion-O made her look over. Apparently Wilykat had gotten too close from excitement and - through some method of silliness – knocked Lion-O into the water. Tygra stared at the spot, not moving one inch as Wilykat crawled meekly onto the bank. "Um…Lion-O?"

He got up out of the water after about five seconds, red mane plastered against his head. His shoulders were stiff, but an irritated glint of victory winked from his eyes. For somehow, someway, he'd caught a fish in his mouth. "Fas free."

"Huh?" Lion-O spat the fish into his paws.

"I said 'that's three.'"

"I don't know that I want to eat it after you've slobbered on it…"

"Shut up! We'll wash it! And I didn't 'slobber' on it!"

Cheetara and Kit watched the debate for a minute. "You know, I never really thought about grown-ups fighting like kids. Do they do that a lot?" In reply Cheetara turned to the satchel she'd taken off and began sorting through it.

"More than you'd expect. And I think we'll be here a little longer than we first thought." Apparently finding what she was looking for, she pulled out her paw. A couple of hair ties rested in her palm. "Never go anywhere without something to keep your hair back. Come here, I think I've got a cute hairstyle in mind. It'll help it stay neat on the road."

Kit scooted closer and settled in front of her. "Should we help them fix the fish?"

"Don't worry. I offered to help the boys fish and cook, but they said that I took the longer watch last night so they would handle it." She lowered her head and whispered, "That, and guys tend to like to be the hunters. It's a masculinity thing. They want to look after girls. They were tired, and I basically put my foot down and made them let me keep watch. They didn't like it, though."

Thinking of how Kat always wanted to do the dangerous parts when they were thieving - such as snitching from the pockets of large, threatening figures – Kit could see that. "But aren't you technically better trained than they are? Or stronger?"

Cheetara put a finger to her lips. "Better trained, maybe. But most of my strength comes from my speed, so I'm not really 'stronger.' Both of them could beat me in hand to hand combat without my staff." She started brushing her claws through Kit's hair, picking delicately at the tangles. "How about I braid part of your hair, pull the braids back and tie them? That way your hair will behave."

"Sure." It felt nice to have somebody comb her hair that knew how to get out the snarls without pulling at her scalp. She always got impatient and just tugged them loose which was always a painful choice. But Cheetara had a practiced, smooth way of combing it.

Kat was observing intently as Tygra showed him how to clean the fish and cook it. They'd lived in the city all their lives, so surviving out in the wild was something neither of them knew much about. Scrounging in the city at least meant that snitching from the market and people's bags only required quick fingers, as opposed to knowing what out here was poisonous and what wasn't. Or how to actually make the fish possible to cook.

Lion-O was attempting to do the same to the other but Snarf kept trying to snag a bite. "Wait until it's cooked, Snarf." Complying, he curled his tail around his feet and watched his master's paws like a chubby, fluffy hawk.

"It doesn't feel like we're on a journey right now. It's more like we're just camping," Kit said. She felt her hair being tugged and folded into braids. "Like this is normal."

Cheetara didn't say anything, and Kit felt the braids being bound back. Lion-O paused in cleaning the fish to shake himself off, fur sopping. Snarf darted away, toward Tygra, avoiding the water. "Lion-O, shake off over there," Tygra reprimanded, swiping at his wet arm.

"Snarf will take the fish if I do."

Tygra looked ready to snap at him, but once he caught sight of his brother, he simply clamped his mouth shut and tried to keep his face straight. Lion-O narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Your fur. Uh, why don't you check your reflection?" Kit bit her lip, feeling a grin burn against her cheeks; his hair was standing on end and looked something like a tuft of cotton. He did as he was bid and looked into the stream.

"Very funny," he muttered, trying to comb his fur back down. "Great, now I'll look like Snarf after a bath all day-SNARF!"

The red beast trilled his success around the fish in his mouth and darted past Kat's ankles when he tried to catch him. Lion-O lunged for the tiny creature, only to miss and hit the grass. Snarf wagged his head and sauntered away with his prize. Pushing himself onto his paws and knees, Lion-O said, "Oh fine. You've got your dinner; I'll just try to catch another so I don't go hungry." He sounded depressed, but Kit saw Snarf's sauntering stop and his ears lift intently. Tygra – who hadn't moved a bit to try to catch the creature – rolled his eyes and mouthed something like 'guilt trip' to the sky. "Poor me. Poor wet, tired me. Oh well. I guess I'll just try to find some leaves to eat…even though they'd make me sick."

It was amazing how guilty Snarf could look. Lion-O didn't look at him, only setting his chin forlornly on his paw. Kit felt a little bit warm inside when she saw Snarf turn around, carry the fish back to Lion-O, and set it down. "_Snaaarrf…_" he mewled, shamefully.

Lion-O grinned and grabbed the pet, sweeping him right off the ground. "Aw, I knew you loved me." Snarf yelped, and crossed his tiny forelegs; he'd been had! Kit giggled, but from behind her she heard something like a bell, a golden tone. Cheetara had come right out and laughed. Lion-O glanced at her and Kit could see the distinctly pleased way he patted Snarf's back. "It's okay, you can have that one. I'm not that tired. I just wanted to mess with you." Swishing his tail, Snarf leaned into the stroking before picking up the fish in his mouth again and beginning to worry it with his sharp teeth.

"It's nice to see him getting back to normal. He was so angry when we left Thundera." Cheetara's voice was soft, and Kit perked up her ears. "I guess you hadn't seen how he was before the attack. He really isn't a mean person. I don't want you to think he is, even though he wasn't exactly charming when we first met you guys."

Kit let her claw trail along one braid. "Oh, I know." She said it so matter-of-factly that Cheetara's fingers paused. "Well…I mean, he was in a bad mood, yeah. But he was just grieving. Still is, probably. So is Tygra, but they do it different. Tygra's kind of drawn into himself. Lion-O gets mad and depressed."

She sat quietly for a minute, watching Lion-O fish. He was too intent on his goal to listen to them chat. "He would have felt really bad if we hadn't ended up tagging along," she noted.

"You're right. He didn't mean what he said about babysitting. But how did you know he wasn't…well, a jerk, frankly?" Cheetara smoothed the back of her hair. It was a tender, almost maternal touch. Kit – in a weird, sort of wistful way – tried to memorize it.

"If he _really_ didn't care about helpless people or things, he wouldn't have brought Snarf along." The statement made Cheetara stop. "He would have left Snarf behind to fend for himself. But he didn't. He was just upset when we met him."

She shifted around on her bottom and Cheetara inspected her. "I'm beginning to understand why people call you '_Wily_kit.' Not many kids would've noticed that." Kit smiled, and Cheetara swiftly braided the longer locks that framed her face. "That's really cute on you. I mean, you and your brother are usually cute, but this look is a good one for you."

Kit beamed. "Really?" She leaned over and caught sight of her reflection in the clear river water. "Hey, it does look pretty good." Winking at her own reflection, Kit thought she looked quite fetching.

"Actually, one more thing would complete it." Cheetara got to her feet and scanned the ground, jogging across the grass to the foot of the nearest tree. Stooping, Kit saw something pink in her hand as she returned. "No girl's hairdo is complete without flowers, right?" Winding the stems into the braids, the older cat crossed her arms in satisfaction. "And there you are."

Kit hopped up and twirled once, the braids bouncing against her face. "I feel all girly. Thanks, Cheetara." It had been a long time since she'd had her hair so neat and trim. "Kat, look at my hair! It's pretty now!"

"That's nice Kit." He never looked away from the fish that sat on the ground, waiting to be cleaned. But he wasn't staring because he was hungry; he stared because every now and then, its gills throbbed. "It keeps moving!" She stood in silence, wondering if any of them would take notice.

"Um…my hair's done!" Kit called more loudly. Cheetara cleared her throat, significantly. No reaction. Kit felt the braids and shrugged. "Well, I like it anyway. Want me to get the bread out?" she asked.

"That'd be great, Kit. I'll help the boys finish up."

As she headed toward the satchel, Cheetara moved until she was behind Tygra, and gave his hair a yank.

"Hey-what?" She then turned and tugged at Lion-O's ear.

"Ow. Cheetara, why-?"

Expression for the most part serene, Cheetara's brows were angled dangerously. "Kit's hair is all fixed up." They both stared at her, nonplussed. "She thinks it looks nice, and I think it would be a gentleman's thing to do to compliment her."

Realization filled their eyes. "Oh. Okay. Sorry," Lion-O added, looking a little nervous under her gaze. Tygra shook his head.

"You know Wilykat? I wonder what it _is_ about girls and their hair," he whispered. Kat snickered. Cheetara heard, and flicked the back of Tygra's head.

"What is it with boys and their _brains_?" she asked pointedly.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a provider!" he said irritably.

"Yes, it takes a lot of effort to look up and reply when a girl yells, 'My hair's done!'"

Rather than continue growling, Tygra just returned his attention to finishing the fish. When Kit returned from the small stretch down the bank, he didn't immediately look up. There was something frustrated about Cheetara, but it was concealed quietly behind her eyelids. Kit was glad for it.

After all, losing a parent was hard. Even you were a grown up, it was probably super hard. Tygra didn't seem to be the kind to let his feelings rule him, unlike Lion-O. But he held himself in, thinking and thinking. Maybe that was why Cheetara was chewing on her lips and looking like she was keeping herself from picking up her bo staff and smacking him in the head.

But when she opened her eyes again, they looked more sad than irritated.

"Kit, your hair looks nice that way." She nearly jumped with surprise at being directly addressed so suddenly by Lion-O, but instantly grinned and felt her face go just a bit pink under her fur. Tygra grunted his assent.

"Really? Or are you just saying that?" she asked, sitting and staring straight at Lion-O, as if daring him to fib.

"It really does look nice. Sorry we didn't say anything earlier," he added. "We were kind of distracted."

Kit looked at her brother, entranced by the gulping fish. "At least you bothered looking. Not that I care what Kat thinks anyway," she said more loudly, wondering if he'd notice.

"What?" He lifted his head. "What'd I do?" Then he paused, as if he'd realized something. "Kit your hair looks different! It's all girly!" It took a minute as he apparently grappled with the concept of praising something feminine. "It's nice on ya."

If her head could have felt any lighter she would have flown. "Well thank you, kind sir."

"You're still the only person that can tie with me in a-!"

She charged him and jumped on his back. "Shut up! Ugh, brothers!" He laughed and did the one thing she couldn't cope with to form an escape; he ran his index claw along the bottom of her foot, tickling. "Ack! No fair!" she squealed. Kat slipped out from under her and began running, with her hot on his heels.

Lion-O watched as they dove and rolled and tickle-fought. "Do you remember when we used to do that? You know, play fight?" he asked. Tygra lifted a brow.

"I wasn't aware we ever stopped. I mean, it was just three weeks ago that I knocked you into a fountain and took off running."

"Oh yeah. That was kind of funny, now that I think about it."

Kit listened intently, even as she tried to pin Kat's paws so he couldn't tickle her again. "I think I told Snarf to do something to get back at you."

"Probably. He urinated next to my bed." Snarf looked innocent, fluffy face round and sweet.

Kat suddenly stopped squirming. "You okay?" she asked, sitting on his back and pressing her paws to his wrists to keep them at his sides. His stomach gurgled.

"So hungry…can't fight. Need food…"

Kit scoffed. Her brother's dramatic tone made her get up, and she shook her head. "Honestly, you can't go without food for more than a few hours?"

"We haven't eaten since this morning! I'm huuungry…!"

Kit was about to reply, but blushed instead; her own stomach growled before she could open her mouth. It didn't shut up for five seconds. "Um…I guess I am too."

An unfamiliar laugh made them both look up. It was pleasant, deeper than Lion-O's. They'd never heard Tygra laugh before, Kit realized. It was kind of nice. Cheetara and Lion-O looked a little relieved to hear it.

'_Was he orphaned like we were?'_ she wondered. '_If he was, he's lost parents twice.'_

It took a little time, but eventually they had three cooked fish, combined with some fruit that Cheetara had deemed nontoxic and some of the bread the fishmen had kindly granted them. After the fiasco in the Sand Sea, none of them were willing to let their supplies get so low. It had been pretty ridiculous to fall for the Ramlak's bait, when they really thought about it now. Food, sitting out in the sand, set up in just such a way? But three days without adequate food or water in the sun and heat could make anyone act a little on the slow side.

Lesson learned; keep proper supplies at all times. It prevented dumb mistakes.

The fruit tasted good, fresher than what they were used to. And Tygra knew how to cook fish, and well. One nice thing about adventuring with these guys was that Kit and Kat usually didn't go hungry anymore. Used to be, one or two nights a week held pretty empty stomachs when picking pockets didn't work out, and their "cute faces" – the ones where they held their paws up to their faces and mewled – were met with nada.

It was nice to pretend that they really weren't looking for some Book of Thingies – omens, was it? It wasn't omelettes, that'd be silly – so they could go kill a rotting mummy guy with blue skin. It was nice to pretend for just a minute even that Thundera was still the most beautiful, powerful kingdom in existence, and that nearly all other cats hadn't been annihilated. That instead of tragedy, in some bizarre way, they'd just happened to meet two princes, a cleric, and a…whatever Snarf was…and they'd all become best friends, and were just camping.

The thought faded pretty quickly. The fact that she and Kat had just barely escaped ending up like all those people moving to shelters sometimes made her fur stand on end, and she had to think of something else, quick, before she started breathing too fast and sweating. Sure they were tough to survive on the streets as long as they had, but everybody had a breaking point.

'_But if that hadn't happened, would we have met these guys?'_ Lying on her blanket, Kit stretched and rolled onto her full, warm stomach and felt sleep tugging at her eyes. Dusk had fallen, and this near the river, insects and tiny creatures were beginning to chirp and hum. It was a sweet sound, and the grass smelled nice, and for a minute under the deep green of the trees and the indigo sky shot with orange and violet, she was kind of glad that they couldn't go back to Thundera. She felt bad for it, but…at the same time…

"I smell something." Cheetara had been sitting quietly by the fire, lashes low as she prepared to unfold her own blanket. But at Tygra's words she opened her eyes fully and stood up.

"…I think I smell it too. Smoke? And…I don't know, metals?" Lion-O said. Kit rubbed her eyes as Cheetara darted to the same tree she'd picked the blossoms in her hair from and climbed it with deadly precision. Crouching high above them on a thick branch, her braid was blown about by the wind. Kind of dramatic, really.

"I think we're being tracked. I smell lizards, a day's travel away. And there are lots of them." Kit was awake again in no time, sitting up. There had to be a lot of them if they were that far away and Cheetara could say with no uncertainty that they were coming. Kat was on his feet, running to Tygra's side.

"Are we going to fight them?" he asked, somewhere between terror and excitement. Kit felt her stomach twist, and Tygra looked at his brother.

"You went up against the Ramlak, and I tried to stop you. But you ended up killing it, and saving the entire crew of Tunar. I won't stand in your way this time," he said. Kit frowned; it was more than that. Something like revenge glittered in his eyes, like a claw retracted.

Lion-O looked uncertain, brows furrowed. "I put everyone in danger last time. You were right to tell me I was acting nuts. It's a miracle that we didn't all get killed. Why are you so eager to fight this time?"

There was a definitely predatory way in Tygra's steps as he trailed toward the tree, as if a nearer proximity to the lizards would convince Lion-O. "I didn't want to fight last time because the Ramlak hadn't done anything to me personally. And I didn't know if even the Sword could take on such a huge beast. If it can take on the Ramlak, it can take on a lizard army. And these _are_ the creatures that took our father. That destroyed Thundera. And we're Thundercats; the crew couldn't defend themselves, but we can. _We _can _fight_."

Like the two had switched, now it was Tygra wanting to fight. And though his reasons made sense, Kit couldn't help but feel like maybe he had another reason. Maybe…seeing Lion-O fight so well and kill a creature so huge made him feel like he needed to prove himself. Cheetara had privately told her that they basically had the ultimate sibling rivalry going on.

Everyone in the kingdom had been present for the games the night before the attack. Even the Wilykittens. Sure, they'd been trying to keep their eyes on the betters chancing money on whom they thought would win. But while they'd been picking up dropped coins and scurrying away, everyone had heard Prince Tygra's barbed goad.

"_When it come to everything but the crown, you'll always be second!"_ She hadn't thought about it much at the time. But now, looking between the two and seeing flaming brown eyes meet reflective blue, it really hit her.

"…Not yet. If they start catching up to us, we'll consider fighting then. As it is, we should just move forward." Lion-O's voice was low, and he sounded almost as ashamed as he did determined. From above, Cheetara watched and listened. Kat didn't say anything but looked up at Tygra to see his response.

A vein throbbed in his neck, and for a second Kit was really scared that he might hit Lion-O. "…Run away? From the creatures that killed our father?" he asked. The growl in his voice was so subtle it was nearly a purr, but the pain in Lion-O's eyes made her throat hurt. "You'll fight the Ramlak, but when it comes to the creatures that put a knife in our father's back-"

"Mumm-Ra was the one who killed Father. The lizards had everything to do with it, but if we fight them right here and now, we'll die. And then how will we get revenge on the one who _really _killed him?" Brooding, dark, Lion-O turned to the fire. "We need to bury the fire and hide all traces of our presence here."

Tygra stepped close, and Kit noticed that, up close, Tygra was bigger than Lion-O. "We'll talk about this again if they catch up to us…_King _Lion-O."

Cheetara was on the ground in an instant. "Come on. We need to get moving. I'll get the supplies." Kit couldn't quite see Lion-O's expression, and she was pretty glad for it. She caught Kat's eye and he too looked uneasy; whatever their issue was, it went deep. Really, really freaking deep.

It was a short matter to put the fish bones into the river and bury the campfire. No doubt the lizards would find it, but if they had to look then it would cost them time. Cheetara looked at Kat and Kit as they blearily looked from one cat to the other and said, "The kittens are really tired, and we'll move faster if we carry them and Snarf. I'll get-"

"Snarf." Lion-O's voice was cutting, and Cheetara shut her mouth. "He's the lightest. I'd feel better if you carried him." Instead of protesting – and she looked as if she'd like to – Cheetara nodded and picked up the tiny creature. The Thundercat lord crouched, and said, "Wilykat, I'll carry you on my back. We'll take a break in three hours."

Looking uneasily at Tygra – who still looked coldly angry – Kat clambered onto Lion-O's back and held onto his neck. "Is that too tight?"

"No, it's fine. Tygra, carry Kit. Please."

The last word made the elder shut his eyes and breathe out his nose. He knelt down and looked at her. Feeling nervous – she could feel the anger at Lion-O radiating off him – she hopped up and gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck. He got up and she blinked; he was tall, and the ground had fallen away pretty far.

"You hanging on tight enough?"

"Yeah." With that, he started moving, following Cheetara as she darted into the shallows of the river.

"Run on the stones on the bank and keep to the water. It'll hide our scent better and we won't leave footprints. We'll start moving through the tree branches tomorrow, and maybe it'll throw them off." She gleamed golden when the moonlight shone through the braches and glittered on the water.

The big cats ran with grace, and the gentle rocking motion was actually soothing, even though Kit couldn't help but look back anxiously, as if the lizards were already right behind them. The breeze caused by their motion made the flowers in her hair tremble, as if they too were scared. For about ten minutes they ran in silence, save for the clatter of flowing water. Glints of firefly light and nocturnal animals slipping through the trees made her jump. Tygra felt the movement and glanced back at her, stepping expertly through the rock. "Something wrong?"

"I just keep seeing little animals in the woods. Their eyes just creep me out." In an effort to keep herself from acting so paranoid, she hid her face, not quite letting it touch the back of his neck. It would have been okay to hide her face in Wilykat's shoulder, but Tygra wasn't Kat. Though they had become a sort of mish-mashed family over the past few weeks, so maybe it wasn't such a weird idea.

But he was in a bad mood, and she couldn't help but feel awkward. Finally, though, her tiredness won out and she let her head rest against his back. "Don't worry. We can handle anything out there. We'll look after you."

She felt like she should say something in response. Something profound and important. But nothing came to mind except one thing, and it would be hard to argue that it was deep in any way.

"Thanks for the fish, Tygra. I haven't had fish that good in a long time. Where'd you learn to make it that way?"

He didn't answer for a second, and she wondered if he'd heard. But he then said, "Father taught me. We used to fight the lizards back from the city walls whenever small recon groups got too close, and sometimes we stayed with the company outside the borders. Lion-O was only twelve, so it was just me and Father then."

Again, she could only think of one thing to say. "Well, he knew how to make really good fish. He taught you good."

His shoulders stiffened a little, and she bit her lip. But he looked at her over one shoulder and his face didn't look taut with some internal fury. He didn't smile, but his eyes looked quieter, and…maybe a little too bright. Not crying, but they shouldn't have been reflecting the moonlight the way they were. She hid her face against the back of his neck again, afraid to see, embarrassed. Only a kid would say something so silly, right? Making him think of his dad when he was still so upset, stupid, _stupid_.

"…Thanks, Kit." And the way he said it – like he'd needed to hear something like that, like it made him feel better – made her wonder if maybe she'd said something kind of profound without meaning it.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nope. Not a bit of it is mine.

Not the long, kind of angsty Cheetara shot I was planning, but it seemed too funny to let it go to waste. The other one shall simply have to wait. I think Cheetara'll end up having a lot of attention in these…she's cool. Although I think her character needs to get more development in the series, soon if possible. Agh, Tygra, curse your complicated-ness! I wish to write you more, sir! I have a really interesting piece planned for him. Aw, heck, all the characters will probably get lots one-shots devoted to them if I keep writing long enough. So if your favorite hasn't had the spotlight, fear not; it'll happen eventually. Although almost all of them will feature Lion-O, because he's my favorite. I readily admit this bias.

For now, we've got a humorous little piece, meant more for fun than for drama. A change of pace from the last ones; still deals with the gang supporting each other, but it's less stressed in this one, and it's shorter. According to the info I've read, there are going to be many denizens and places on Third Earth, so I'm taking some liberty with them. And no, I suppose these shots are not going to be in chronological order.

Warning: Hints of Lion-O/Cheetara/Tygra. The love triangle is **canon** – which I tend to favor when I like a series. It means I have a chance at seeing a romance I like – and while I favor one pairing more than the other, I will try to be fair. I shan't tell you which I favor just yet, though you can probably guess…cookie for you if you can spot the references to the old series.

Cheetara protectiveness over our royal boys, especially the younger one, because I'm a sucker for stuff like that. She's more like team mom in this one, and she really isn't supposed to reciprocate any romantic feelings just yet.

A couple of OCs that probably won't ever appear again for comedic purposes feature here. Their names are, I believe, French variations of the word, "Feline."

* * *

><p><em>"Post-Ramlak, Pre-Petalars. Between the species and beings of Third Earth, some things just don't change. People are entranced by and afraid of exotic foreigners. Suspicious village men won't talk to strangers much. Poor shopkeepers ignore you if you aren't buying. And girls have soft spots in their hearts for cute boys with flirty smiles and baby-blues."<em>

"_And Cheetara will always look after the royal family, whatever…_threat_…has to be faced." _

* * *

><p><strong>Flirtation Situation<strong>

Sand was disgusting. Really. How anybody could bear to live or travel in it for long periods of time was crazy. Terrible for running, burnt your feet when you stood in one place for too long, made you thirsty…and in the case of the Sand Sea so close behind them, might drown you if you were careless enough to fall in.

Cheetara appreciated the shade of the tents and lightly constructed buildings. Adobe houses and huts littered the town, but most interesting were the wooden stalls and cotton tents. Along the earthen, trodden path through town, scores of fascinating beings passed. Some fishmen – those who had apparently thought Tunar too crazy to follow when he'd started his whole revenge bit – plodded by, dragging their fins as they headed towards the docks. Now that the oasis was back, no doubt they'd escape the desert as quickly as possible. A large, cloaked creature crossed the opposite way, and she spotted a gray, leathery snout extending from the face before they shuffled out of sight.

While the people were dressed in dirty cloth like they were, the shops were bright and saturated with wares. Gemstones, lush carpets, and odd spiced foods were being held out to travelers as they passed. Cheetara couldn't help but eye a rather pretty piece – a gold necklace, plain and pure – before turning her attention to the more important matter.

Directions. There had to be a simple way of getting through the valleys and gorges and into the woods the fishmen had described that rested in the west. Lizards apparently were plentiful there, as the beasts were not generally fond of the baking, sizzling sand. But the quicker they could get out of_ this _place, the sooner they could all walk on cool grass and figure out a way to get around the lizards. And maybe even take a _bath _for heaven's sake; it had been nearly five days and she felt filthy.

"The supplies we have will last for two weeks if we stretch them. But I wouldn't be opposed to getting extra here." Tygra – the voice of practicality when it came to survival – settled their pack on the ground. "I don't know what the regular prices are around here, and I don't appreciate the idea of getting swindled. Or robbed. This town seems inclined towards that sort of thing."

Get a ton of merchants with expensive goods together and that would probably prove true. Kit and Kat were looking around with intrigued expressions, and more than once Lion-O had to grab their arms to prevent them from running out into the street to inspect some shining treasure. "Yeah. It's like the black markets in Thundera." Tygra looked at him a little curiously; she'd forgotten he hadn't known about that.

"Do you think we ought to split up into groups?" Kat tugged at Lion-O's arm, hanging back and dangling. "Because I want to look around and ask about El Dara. All the treasure around, somebody's gotta know about it."

Instead of hanging off Lion-O, Kit wrapped her arms around his side. "We won't take anything. And we'll be so, so, SO careful. And we'll ask about directions and stuff too!" Bright green eyes widening, she stuck out her lower lip and meowed. "Pleeease?"

"I don't know guys. Not on your own. Too many strangers." Instead of obeying the indirect refusal, Kat wrapped his arms around Lion-O's other side.

"Oh come on! We've been living around crooks and cutthroats for years! Seen criminals in one town, you've seen 'em in every town. We won't go far."

Cheetara glanced out among the carpets and silks. "If one of us stays close to them, I think it should be okay. Two groups will get twice the information, right?"

"If Lion-O will look after Kit and Kat, I'll go with you." Tygra and Lion-O's eyes met for an instant, just the slightest flicker of something like jealousy and defiance. Tygra almost seemed to be daring Lion-O to protest, to use his authority.

Cheetara didn't pay too much attention to the matter, but she found she was pleased when Lion-O finally responded to Kit and Kat's pleading and tugging and meowing. "Okay, okay. Tygra…"

Snarf gave the tiger a look very similar to the intent one his master was giving. "Don't let anything happen to her," Lion-O said in undertone. In spite of the fact that she heard him, Cheetara didn't say a word when Tygra nodded. It didn't offend her; they all had to look out for each other.

Still, when all was said and done, she would probably end up being the one doing any "looking after." But they didn't need to know that.

As the kittens pulled Lion-O in the direction they wanted to go, and Snarf trotted dutifully behind his master, she saw the tiny red beast do the most fascinating thing. He paused and turned around, fixing his gaze on Tygra again, eyes nearly peridot in the glaring sunlight. Narrowing them, he pointed two tiny fingers at them before pointing one at the tiger. Then, he turned and continued walking.

"…Did Snarf just say he would be 'watching you?'" she asked finally, uncertain in her shock. Tygra shrugged.

"Sometimes I wonder just how smart that thing is. Whenever Lion-O fiddled with his beloved technology, Snarf would always know exactly what tool he was looking for. Or whenever Lion-O talks to him, he understands. It's kind of bizarre."

"He talks to Snarf a lot?" she asked, amused. They slipped out into the people and began moving in the opposite direction that Lion-O and the kittens had gone. Though she'd meant it in jest, Tygra looked at her with a surprisingly neutral expression.

"Nobody else would listen to him about tech. I guess he had to talk to somebody." There might have been just a little guilt in his voice.

* * *

><p>Most unfortunately, two hours and tired, hot feet didn't get them anything but countless offers of expensive goods and cold shoulders when they refused. Nobody seemed to have information on the woods they needed to reach, and if they did, they weren't interested in sharing. Tygra had nearly growled at one or two of the more obnoxious replies they'd gotten, but Cheetara simply touched his shoulder; no good in getting angry.<p>

"Think Lion-O had any better luck?" His elbows rested on his knees as they sat in the shade, resting on a wooden crate between the pitched stalls. Cheetara shrugged, half considering talking her hood off before deciding against it. They had seen some cats while wandering, but they didn't look exactly like the Thunderian cats they were accustomed to. Going about without a disguise sounded dangerous, so it left them with their cloaks covering their heads.

"I guess we can ask him. Is that him?" One cloaked figure in the people seemed to be moving quicker, in their general direction. Tygra frowned; they walked with the gait of someone well and truly cheesed off about something.

Then he spotted the kittens and Snarf. He stood up, fur rising. "Something's wrong. Kit's crying, and Kat looks ready to sock somebody."

Kit was indeed sniffling and rubbing one paw over her face, the other paw firmly held by Lion-O as he led them out of the people. Garbage and something sticky seemed to be all over her, and the hot sun was making it cook into her fur. Finally reaching the shade, Lion-O picked up Kit and set her on the crate. "What happened?" Cheetara asked, staring. Anger at whatever had caused the upset made her tap her claws, and Kit rubbed at her face again, trying to clean it.

Kat was nearly hopping up and down, tail a massive puff of stiff, furious fur. "Some stupid jerks threw stuff at us! Me and Kit were right by Lion-O and we asked some people about getting out of the desert, and they yelled at us!"

Tygra had taken out their water canteens and poured a little of the precious liquid on the edge of his cloak. Tearing off this segment, he began dabbing it over Kit's face. "Calm down, Kit. It's okay." Her sobbing subsided enough that they could understand her when she spoke.

"And-And they said, 'Filthy cats shouldn't be around here,' and, 'We thought Thundera got blown up,' and, 'Those cats…sure breed ugly girls…'"

Lion-O snarled. "They were a bunch of fish. They had trash with them, like they were going to put it out on the street." Looking at the dregs of meals past and dust sweepings and other garbage now sticking to Kit, it didn't do to ask what they'd done with the trash. Cheetara's breath steamed out of her nose, sight flaring just a bit red for a minute.

"Jerks! Stupid, smelly jerks!" Kat kicked at the crate, hissing when his foot began to throb in pain. Hopping on one foot, he yowled. "Sis, they were a bunch of idiots! Don't you believe a word they said!"

"Completely," Cheetara agreed, sweeping out what looking like paper litter out of Kit's tail. Tygra cleaned off the cloth and poured some water directly onto Kit's arm and started cleaning out the food residue. She wiped her face again, a little more forcefully. "What'd you guys do?" Cheetara asked, looking between Lion-O and Kat.

Kit laughed, sound a mixture of a sob and a giggle. "Lion-O decked them."

Kat grinned, finally ceasing his hopping. "Yeah, and he didn't even use the sword! He took out all three of them and kicked their tails! Or…whatever fish have."

Lion-O flushed, but his expression didn't change from his brooding, angry one. "I just can't believe people would be like that. Treating anyone, let alone a kid, like that…"

Kit was coming clean at last, and Tygra abandoned the rag to brush off the last of the wood scraps and help her shake the dust out of her fur. He didn't say anything to Kit, but oddly enough the motions seemed to make Kit feel better even more so than the verbal abuse of the fish. "They were that way in Thundera to the lizards," he said finally.

"Yeah, but _we _weren't." Cheetara noticed that Tygra looked very much as if he wanted to say something else – perhaps remarking on how 'life wasn't fair' or some other such adage – but he merely sighed through his nose.

"I know. At least you showed them why picking on cats is questionable at best."

Lion-O tilted his head. "Gee, Tygra, be careful. That sounded a little bit like praise."

"Well, we're back where we started," Cheetara interjected softly. The heat and their fury was beginning to become distracting, and she nearly let her hood fall back to cool off. Watching from their makeshift alleyway, she crossed her arms and let her weight rest on one side. "So cute kittens aren't going to get any info, and neither are polite strangers."

Lion-O followed her gaze, watching the people as they slipped by without even a glance their way. "Then what do we do? Wing it like last time?"

They all exchanged looks. No winging it. Directions were a necessity.

Squinting, Kit rubbed her eyes. "_He's_ foreign. Why's that lady talking to him? She's all giggly too."

Indeed she was. Cheetara managed to pick out the people Kit was talking about, across the road. It was a female fish, talking to a taller one who was presumably male, laughing coquettishly. Even from far away, several of his features from under the hood – young, with dashing scales. As he trailed away from the woman, she turned to group of friends – who had remained quiet, observing from behind the counter of their stall – and Cheetara listened intently. Perhaps they knew him? She could only pick out bits of what they were saying in the noise, even with her skilled ears.

"He said he's been to the other side of the Sand Sea!"

"The oasis is back too, didn't you hear!"

"He was so cute, and those eyes! Ooh, talk about ocean blue!"

At that, she smiled; the fish's eyes had been a relatively dull blue. If that was all they needed, they were in great luck. "I think I know how we're going to get our information, if we can only find the right girls to ask." Glancing at Lion-O and Tygra, she observed their faces; reasonably clean, and even from under the hood Lion-O's eyes were far brighter than the fish's had been. And Tygra's fur looked bold and handsome.

Tygra's brows lifted and his mouth quirked; he'd heard and knew what she was thinking. Lion-O, however, stared at her nonplussed. "What?"

* * *

><p>It struck Cheetara as strange that there were plenty of cats in the desert. But she supposed some cats were better suited for a desert climate rather than the milder temperatures within Thundera's previously lush, green boundaries. Those that reached Thundera rarely left…and they never came with tales of technology. But it seemed as if technology was becoming widespread, for she'd seen a variety of weaponry being carried and traded. It was rapidly becoming a different world.<p>

When she finally found a stall being run by what looked like a serval – a pretty, spotted girl with large ears and a coal-dark nose, draped in a brown cloak like everyone else they'd seen – she knew she'd found a good candidate. The girl looked about sixteen, and she was busy shifting supplies onto the ramshackle shelves behind the counter. Clay pots and spices and jewelry…it seemed to sell everything. A couple other servals seemed to be in the back as well, but it was hard to tell how old they might be.

Something told her the cats around here didn't see lions and tigers often. That could only be an advantage.

"So…you want us to ask _them_ for directions?" Lion-O apparently didn't understand, as he kept looking at them and then at her. "Why them in particular?"

Tygra rolled his eyes. "The less you know, the more chance we have of making this work." Lion-O frowned, but Cheetara stepped in front of him, examining.

"Here's what you need to do. Be polite, ask them if they know about how to get through the desert as quickly as possible, and about the woods. If they get rude or irritated, take off your hoods."

"I don't understand-"

"You don't need to. Just smile and be friendly. Tygra, you're experienced. You don't need my help," she said, glancing at him. He might have winked at her, just a slight little motion, before nudging his brother.

"Come on, O Mighty Thundercat Lord. Let's do what men hate to do and ask for directions." Still confused, his brother moved.

"Think it's going to work?" Cheetara asked, watching as they approached the nearly deserted shop. Kat blinked.

"What's going to work?" Kit shook her head.

"It'll go fine, Cheetara. If they like older bad boys, Tygra will do the job. And if she likes younger good boys, Lion-O will be okay." She tried not to giggle, but the thought seemed too funny. Kat stared at her, bewildered. "I wonder what they'll do."

The serval girl had spotted the cloaked boys, and she fixed her brown eyes on them warily. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

Tygra spoke first. "Actually we've been trying to get directions all day. Would you happen to have a map of the desert and surrounding areas?" His voice was a little lower than usual, and in spite of herself Cheetara had to say it was attractive.

The girl seemed intrigued, but shook her head. "Sorry, no maps. Not to be rude, but if that's all you're after, you should try somewhere else."

"Maybe you know something about the desert?" Lion-O didn't have that charismatic purr in his voice, but he sounded so open and innocent that Cheetara had to fight a smile. The girl was curious, but she crossed her arms.

"The only people around who ever need directions are lizards and drifters. Find one of them and see what they know." Suspicious of strangers, eh? Cheetara watched the boys as the girl began to leave the counter. "Good luck."

Lion-O stepped under the awning of the stall and spoke again. "Please? We can't find anybody around who's willing to talk to us. I know we're foreign, but we really don't mean any harm." The almost pleading note made her stop and glance back.

"Nobody trusts somebody whose face they can't see," she said sagely. Tygra and Lion-O glanced at each other, and then tugged down their hoods.

The girl's eyes widened a little bit, and she blinked twice. Not noticing this, Lion-O repeated his request for directions. "We really need to know where to go. Are you sure you can't help us?"

The girl was staring at them as if they'd appeared out of thin air. Or like they were glowing. "Um…let me get my sister. She knows more about directions than me." She never turned away from them, staring at them even as she ducked behind the shelves, presumably into the back of the stock room.

"Felin! _Felin, get out here!_" she hissed. Cheetara cocked her head to the side, listening intently. Her training hadn't been for nothing; in the relative quiet of the less populated street, she could hear the girl whispering to her sister in the back. "You need to see something!"

"If it's that weird old leopard I'm not coming out; he was flirting with Nana yesterday, and he smells like fish."

"No! There are a couple of guys out here, and they need directions. You _want _to see them."

A slight, scoffing sigh was the reply. "We don't sell directions, we sell spices and knick knacks. Tell them to get lost, Feles."

"Felin, come _here!_ They're freaking _babes!_"

"Cuter than that bobcat we saw last month?" Felin asked, mildly skeptical.

"_So _much cuter. I've never seen cats this gorgeous! It's a tiger and a lion. Come _on_, I'd be a horrible sister if I let you miss 'em!"

Cheetara grinned. Kit sat beside and tilted an eyebrow. "Is it working?" Nodding, the cheetah watched Feles returned to her line of sight, Felin in tow. Felin looked older, and she had longer hair, but in every way she looked almost precisely like the fawning serval at her side.

Apparently she agreed with Feles; Cheetara saw her gaze dance over the boys as she smiled graciously. Yet for some reason, irritation built up along her shoulders when the girl eyed Lion-O.

Thundercat lord or not, he was a seventeen-year-old boy. This girl looked at least twenty-three. And unlike Feles, who was looking up at Tygra with a shy, almost adoring expression, this girl looked more like some kind of predator watching a deer.

Almost before she knew what she was doing, she felt for her bo staff, crossed her arms, and watched. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea. "My sister says you boys are looking for directions?" she said quietly. Her eyes were gray, surprisingly bright in the desert. Tygra smiled.

"We just want to get to the edge of the desert as quickly as possible. And buy extra supplies before we go." He hadn't stepped under the awning, and his fur looked gloriously vibrant in the sunlight. Felin nodded and turned her head.

"Nana! We got any maps to the border from here! And provisions for travelers!" Cheetara dared to skirt a little closer to the stall to see better. She felt Kit leaning against her side to spy as well, gazing with fascination at the old cat that came out.

"Sure. One left, and we have dried fruit, salted meat, biscuit sea rations…although they're hard as rocks…" she said, tottering forward. Her fur was gray, peppery, and she looked dry and withered like their surroundings. But when she spotted the boys she smiled. "Well, what do you know; I haven't seen a lion in thirty years! And a tiger, too! You say you need a map and supplies?"

Lion-O looked relieved to finally have found somebody who seemed to be interested in helping them. "Yes ma'am. We have to get to woods on the border, and we really don't want to wander in the desert longer than we have to. We've been here long enough."

The old cat knelt and began looking under the counter, rustling through pages and papers. "Well, we don't have a map already made, but I can write up some directions for you. Feles, you run back and get them a canteen of water and some of the jerky." She placed the sheet of paper on the counter and tugged a little piece of charcoal from her pocket. Feles obeyed, casting glances back at them. Tygra seemed amused by the whole thing; Lion-O still didn't seem to get it.

Cheetara sighed with relief. "It only took three hours and some flirting on Tygra's part, but it looks like we'll be getting somewhere at last." Kit didn't reply for a moment, watching.

"Um, Cheetara? I don't mean to rain on the success parade, but…that girl is looking at Lion-O again."

Felin was indeed looking at him with distinct interest. Cheetara felt her eyes narrow, and her claws started to itch.

It wasn't a jealousy thing; Lion-O was the Lord of the Thundercats, and she was a cleric, a defender of the crown. The knight to her liege. It was her duty to look after him, and Tygra as well.

And looking after them meant making sure older women weren't eying him like a steak.

Torn between hating her idea and acknowledging that it would get them nearer to their goal, Cheetara pushed aside her bangs and heavily considered stepping toward the stall. "And you'll turn just before hitting the gorge. That'll lead you to the plains, and as the river feeds into the land the underbrush will get thicker." The old cat's claws scraped slightly against the rough map she'd begun sketching. Lion-O was examining the map closely, and paying no attention to the older woman that was giving him looks. Cheetara nearly laughed at how oblivious he was.

She _didn't_ laugh when Felin sidled around let her index claw trail over the edge of his ear. He twitched, almost jumping with surprise. She winked, and Lion-O blinked, face reddening under his fur. The girl was _forward_.

Okay, this had been a _bad_ plan. Cheetara looked at Kat and Kit. "Stay here. I'm…going to check on the map. And tell a cougar to back off," she muttered as an afterthought. Kat looked to his sister as Cheetara stepped out of the alley and began stalking toward the counter.

"But they're not cougars."

Kit tilted her head thoughtfully. "Mom called somebody that once. It was this old puma, and she was talking to Dad kind of like that girl is talking to Lion-O. I think it has to do with a lady flirting with a guy a lot younger than her."

"Oh…"

Felin had long, dark eyelashes, and she was using them well. "So, what _are_ a couple of nice cats like you doing in a town like this?"

"Traveling." Cheetara spoke with as much smooth courtesy as she could muster. Lion-O's ears perked forward and he turned around to look at her as she approached, gait swaying. "I see you guys found somebody who can help us find our way."

Lion-O looked a little relieved; Tygra seemed to find something funny about the whole situation. And Felin's pretty glances had hardened into ice. "Oh. I see. You're with them?"

"We're traveling in the same company, yes." Just to irritate the serval, Cheetara tugged her hood back so she could see her eye to eye. She wasn't accustomed to using her looks to prove superior – her combat skills were generally more than enough – but she didn't she looked too bad, in spite of the fact that she wanted a bath really, really badly.

"Well aren't you just a pretty thing!" The old serval woman surprised her, and Cheetara looked at her, awkwardly remembering that there had been two others present. "Are one of these nice boys your honey?"

Even Tygra reddened at that. Lion-O sounded for a minute like he was choking. "No, we're just friends traveling together," Cheetara said gently. Felin raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Oh, sorry. There I go, jumping to conclusions." Nana began to roll up the map and handed it to Tygra. "No charge for the map, dear. If you'd like the provisions, I'll sell them half-price to you."

"Thank you," he said, surprised. "Nice to find somebody around here willing to express some goodwill. You take Thunderian shillings?"

Nana grinned and patted his arm. "Of course. Nice boys like you don't come around often. Take care of yourselves out there," she added. "I hear the lizards have been on the prowl and getting violent."

Tygra gave her the shillings and hefted the bag of provisions under one arm. "Thanks for all your help," Lion-O said, not looking directly at Felin. Then again, the girl was still giving Cheetara a cold look, which was met with a smile that was sweet like honey tainted with arsenic.

"No problem," Feres said. She was trying not to look at Tygra, which Cheetara thought was rather cute; there had to have been a time she was so awkward around boys, right…? And Tygra – being the flirtatious, almost annoyingly cocky guy he was – took her paw and gave it a slight kiss in a fashion most genteel.

"Thank you for your assistance, young lady," he purred. She looked thunderstruck, and for a second Cheetara was sure she was going to faint dead away from delirious joy. Lion-O rolled his eyes, and Cheetara nudged his arm to get him moving before Felin got any ideas.

"Nice work. Let's not do this again," she said conversationally. The kittens had been utterly riveted by the strange scene, and Snarf gazed up towards his master, who had a slightly shell shocked expression.

"Why? I thought it was perfectly fun." Tygra knelt and began to transfer the supplies into their packs, shifting the items to fit them better. "More fun than we've had in the past couple of weeks anyway. Besides, it was your idea."

Cheetara crossed her arms. "A bad one. I'm supposed to look after you two. Letting you near that kind of girl is not conducive to that objective," she said baldly. He only smirked.

"Yes mother. I'll protect Lion-O from the cradle-robbers of the world if you so wish."

Irritably, she took the map and unrolled it, looking over the instructions and drawings. Striding forward, Kit and Kat followed in her wake, hopping to see the map better. Lion-O picked up his pack and followed, glancing at Snarf once to ask, "...What's a 'cradle-robber'?"

Snarf shook his head and meowed. He must have known, for Lion-O's face went red and he didn't ask again.


End file.
